Percy Jackson and the Revenge of the Deep
by silverstorm94
Summary: Now that Kronos has been defeated, everything is fine, right? Well, if you live at Camp Half Blood, you're dead wrong. An old enemy has returned, and it will take every hero to stop it. Quests begin, and the prophecy is not very inviting. Please review.
1. Prologue

Hey guys! This is my second story-hope you enjoy!

Note: this takes place AFTER The Last Olympian

**It has a few of the same chars, but is not a sequel to my other story!**

I thought of this idea one afternoon by randomly drinking apple juice, which is golden and reminded me of nectar. (yea, im a bit out there).

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PJ, or any ideas relating to the books and ideas owned by RR.

**Prologue**

**(Many, Many, Many Years Ago) **

Two large doors burst open, revealing a magnificent room, with two smaller brass thrones on either side of a polished, and ornate golden throne. A man wearing broken Greek armor was being pulled by two soldiers, who had solid armor on. The man was whimpering, getting burned by the dry floor. Upon the larger throne sat a tall man with a serious look on his face, studying the man being dragged. He wore a shimmering crown, with a dazzling gem on it. To his left was a slimmer woman, who had a silver tiara on her head, showing off an emerald. Her face was passive, and she looked uninterested. To the king's right was a slightly more intimidating looking woman, who wore nothing but a small bracelet with a ruby on it. She had a set face, one that knew when to be serious, and when to be casual.

The man with broken armor was thrown in front of the king, and gasped in pain. The king looked disgusted.

"Why have you brought this filth into my chamber? I specifically ordered you two to have him executed!" shouted the king, who looked furious.

One of the soldiers stepped forward nervously and spoke.

"Your majesty, we were, uh, bringing him to the noose when he told us he had to explain his motives."

The king waved his hand.

"How DARE you follow this, traitor's request over your king's orders!"

The girl with the ruby bracelet shifted.

"Father, maybe you should hear him out. Maybe what he has to say is actually impo-

"Silence, daughter! I take advice from my advisor, not my teenage daughter who should be resting for her wedding tomorrow!" roared the king.

The girl scowled.

"Yea, of course. Because I am just so enthused about marrying a forty year-old."

The king's eyebrows narrowed.

"Do not mock me, Nemi. The man Aurora and I have chosen for you to marry is a great one, and you should be honored to have the privilege!"

Nemi made a fake smile.

"Yea, because it's all about the privilege. It's not like it has to do with Lord Darron being incredibly rich or anything…"

The woman with the tiara, Aurora, turned.

"Nemi! Do not speak to your father and king like that!" She looked at her husband. "Please Adamios, let this man speak

The king nodded reluctantly.

"Very well. Why exactly, did you tell our enemy all our plans, in turn almost losing us the entire war?" he asked in thick sarcasm.

The man lying on the floor raised his head, and spoke in a raspy voice.

"I…needed…money….family…starving…wife having…child…"

Nemi looked surprised, and her face showed her sympathy. Queen Aurora just shrugged and looked at her husband. King Adamios frowned.

"You did all of this…just for money? Bah. What a pathetic excuse. Take him away.

Nemi jumped.

"No! Father, with all due respect, Lysander is one of our finest bakers in this kingdom! You know how much you like his éclairs. Sometimes, people just have to do things that they don't like, but because they just have to." She looked sad, and it was obvious that she wasn't just talking about Lysander.

Adamios bit his lip.

"Well, I do simply adore the éclairs…Very well. Your sentence is now changed from execution to…hmm…five years as the head chef in my palace. But, if I eat one bad éclair, it's the prison for you."

Lysander stood slowly, and looked happy.

"Your majesty, I am forever in your debt. And yes, I'll add extra cream just for you!"

Adamios nodded and waved his hands. The two guards sprung forward and escorted Lysander away, less forceful this time. Nemi stood up, curtsied to her parents, and walked away.

She felt sorry for Lysander, and how he was forced to do something he didn't want to. _If only there was a way for me to escape this marriage,_ Nemi thought.

"If only…" spoke a soft voice behind her.

Nemi jumped, and spun around. Before her was a tall woman wearing battle armor, with a small owl insignia inscribed on the headset. Nemi gasped, and sank to her knees.

"Lady…Athena! It is an honor, no a privilege, to be in your presence!"

Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle, smiled.

"You have acted wisely, Princess Nemisira. You have shown the gods just what we were looking for."

Nemi fiddled with her bracelet.

"Um…what exactly were you looking for?" she asked nervously.

Athena stepped forward.

"A mortal who is willing to accept her own pain, and forgive others. Someone willing to be merciful, and shine with glory throughout. You are that mortal."

Nemi smiled.

"Thanks! I mean, well what exactly does that mean?" she asked hesitantly.

Lady Athena's stormy eyes twinkled.

"We would like to…present you with a gift. One that will… change your life forever."

Nemi nodded.

"Any gift from the gods is something I shall cherish forever."

Athena tilted her head.

"I have not even told you what it is yet. Do not make decisions so rashly. We would like to make you one of us, an immortal goddess. A minor goddess of course, but a goddess nonetheless."

Nemi almost fainted.

"Me! A goddess…thank you so much! What would my powers be? And would I like, be able to live forever?"

Athena grinned.

"Yes, forever. However, keep in mind that forever is an awfully long time. Second, you would receive the title of Nemisira, minor goddess of forgiveness and mercy."

Nemi's eyes widened.

"Thank you, Lady Athena. And the rest of the gods. This…is perfect! I accept."

Athena nodded.

"Very well. At sunset, my father Zeus shall invoke the spell that shall turn you into a goddess. You shall also be expected to dine with us, the twelve Olympians, that is, tomorrow evening."

Nemi was shaking with excitement.

"Yes, Lady Athena. I'll be there."

Athena waved her hands, and the hallway glowed bright. Nemi looked away, and found herself alone, with nothing but a basket with several objects in it. Nemi picked up the basket, and returned to her private bedchamber.

*******************************************************************

Several hours later, Nemi was perched next to her window, waiting for sunset. She had not told her parents about the gods' gift, for she feared they would make her refuse, allowing her to still be married. The moment the sun began to sink in the sky, Nemi felt a rush of excitement flow through her body.

_Is this what it feels like to be a goddess?_ She thought, shrugging. Nemi turned, and poured golden liquid into a goblet, and pulled two squares from the basket. She raised the ambrosia and nectar and whispered a short prayer to the Olympians. She ate the squares first, and swallowed them down with a gulp of nectar.

She moved her arm to set the goblet down, but it fell from her hand, shattering on impact. Nemi screamed, and fell to the floor, her body convulsing in pain. Her body seemed to be attacking itself, and Nemi was writhing in agony, losing the strength to even scream. Struggling to breathe, Nemi summoned up her last bit of energy.

"You…you promised me! You…you lied!" she roared at the ceiling.

Suddenly, a dark, violet light pulsed through the room, and a dark, hooded figure appeared in front of Nemi.

"Silence yourself, if you wish to live," said the figure.

Nemi was losing control, and she could feel her body shutting down.

The figure spoke in a deep voice that sounded menacing, but believable.

"The food of the gods has caused your blood to boil, and you will be dead in moments. The gods have failed you."

Nemi's eyes widened and blackness was beginning to close in on her.

The figure spoke again.

"I can save you, but I need a commitment. I need your word that you will help me strike a blow against the treacherous gods, the ones who always betray."

Nemi couldn't move her head, but move her eyes up and down.

The figure nodded, and raised a hand. Violet light washed over Nemi, and suddenly, Nemi was glowing and standing. The once bright ruby on the bracelet was now a dark shade, almost completely black.

The hooded figure laughed to itself.

"I will find you a new name, and a new title. You shall no longer be merciful, but quite the opposite to the ones who betrayed you. Come, we have much to plan."

Nemi's new and immortal form nodded. The figure snapped it's fingers, and they were gone.

*******************************************************************

Hope you enjoyed that! Chapter 1 coming soon- including several new chars, involving new ideas from Book 5!


	2. Chapter 1: New Campers and Relatives?

Chapter 1:

New Cabins, and Campers, and Sisters! Oh My!

My mom pulled over when we got to the bottom of Half-Blood Hill, and began to cry as usual.

"Mom," I protested. "There is no more danger! I'll be fine, seriously!"

My mom wiped her eyes.

"I know the Titans are gone, but…you always seem to get into trouble…"

I smiled sarcastically.

"Wow, thanks."

My mom laughed.

"Just be careful, Percy. Keep Annabeth with you! Oh, and Grover!"

I got out of the car.

"Thanks for reminding me, mom. See you in the fall!"

I began my hike up the steep hill, and thought about the past year.

I had successfully finished my second year at Goode High, which was an all time record for most half-bloods. I saw Annabeth a lot, but lately she had been busier. She was overseeing all construction going on at CHB, and she made daily trips to Olympus to supervise her ideas up there. I could tell she was stressing though, but I figured she could handle it.

Annabeth had told me that CHB had nearly doubled its amount of campers in the past year, and had added over fifteen new cabins. _Camp is going to be so much different this summer,_ I thought. As I reached the top of the hill, I looked down upon CHB. The strawberry fields were blooming, and there were two arenas now! There were several more volleyball nets, and the archery range had been extended to three times its original size! The forges and armories were impressively larger, and the climbing lava wall looked bigger. _That should be fun,_ I thought sarcastically.

I knew most of the campers were year-rounders now, so I wasn't surprised to see that camp was filled with teenagers running around. I started to walk toward the Big House when something grabbed my arm and swirled me around. I swung my arm forward, to punch whatever had grabbed me, but something invisible stopped my hand. Suddenly, Annabeth appeared, shaking her blonde hair out of her Yankees cap.

"Gotta be quicker next time, Seaweed Brain," she teased.

I laughed, and we kissed. Nothing was comparable to this, nothing at all. We parted, and held hands as Annabeth explained a lot to me.

"Well basically, there are around one hundred and fifty campers now, and there are 30 cabins."

I looked at her incredulously.

"Thirty! Geez!"

Annabeth nodded.

"Yes, Seaweed Brain, your request to the gods has taken a long time to fulfill, but it definitely helped. Undetermined kids don't even stay in Cabin 11 anymore. We have two cabins made for undetermined, and guests. But since the gods have to claim before the kids reach 13, those cabins are usually pretty empty."

We stopped in front of the new mass of cabins, and I gaped. There were many more, and the Dionysus cabin had been moved a bit.

There were new cabins for Janus, Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Tyche, Nyx, Zelos, Cratos, Aether, Phoebetor, Iris, Hebe, Nike, Hemera, Hades, and Hestia.

For those who don't know, Morpheus is the minor god of dreams, Tyche is the god of luck, Zelos is the god ice, anger and jealousy, Cratos is the god of strength (disputable between Hercules), Aether is the elemental god of light and air, Phoebetor is the god of nightmares, and Janus is the god of choices, doorways, and things like that.

Nyx is the minor goddess of night, Hymera is the goddess of the day, Nike is the goddess of victory and glory, Hebe is the goddess of youth, Iris is the goddess of rainbows, messaging, and speed, Hecate is the goddess of magic, and Nemesis is the goddess of revenge.

I stared impressed.

"Wow Annabeth, you guys did a great job. Really, this is great! Capture the flag is going to be so much more fun now!"

Annabeth nodded, her pride shimmering in her stormy eyes.

"Thanks, Percy."

She led me away, to explore the rest of camp, when I remembered something my father had said to me last summer.

"Um, Annabeth?" I asked slowly. "By any chance…are there any new campers that are…Big Three?"

Annabeth looked away.

"Uh…I'll talk to about that later."

Before we could move on, and before I could protest, the dinner horn sounded. Annabeth squeezed my hand.

"See for yourself."

The dinner pavilion was five times its old size now, because there were 16 new tables, and tons of new campers. The line for food was terrible, and by the time I got my food it was cold. I scraped off the warmest biscuit into the flames, and the scent of sea breeze drifted through the air. I turned around, and bumped into a boy that I barely recognized from last year.

"Hey Percy," the boy said. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm Austin. You and Chiron found me, Chelsea, Monica, and Reese when that dragon was attacking us. Anyways, welcome back."

I nodded.

"That's right, I remember now. So, did you guys get claimed yet?" I asked.

Austin nodded, showing off a bow on his back.

"Apollo. Apparently there was a prophecy about the four of us, and we each divided Apollo's powers evenly. Like I'm beast at archery and the arts, but the others are good at different things." He said, gesturing toward the Apollo table.

I glanced over, and noticed how many kids were over there. A lot.

"So…have you met Sydney yet? She's…hot. Don't get mad."

I looked confused.

"Who's Sydney?" I asked.

Austin's eyes widened.

"Oh…um…why don't you just go sit down and eat your food…" he trailed off, slipping away into the crowd.

_Why the heck is everyone acting so weird? _ I thought. I sat down at the Poseidon table, which was thankfully still empty. I didn't want to be in a cabin with fifty other kids. That would get old, fast.

I was just about to eat my steak when a girl of about fifteen sat down at my table. She had long, black hair, and icy blue eyes that chilled me. She was wearing an outfit that looked like something Thalia would wear. It was a black rocker sweater, and tight blue jeans. She had blue and black Converse on, with writing and markings all over them. Her face was set in perfect features, and she had a little black mascara on her eyes. She had a little bit blue on her eyelashes, but not enough to make her look "girly". She seemed like the type of girl who was a hybrid of Ares, Aphrodite, and Demeter. Mainly Ares.

I glanced up, taken aback by her appearance. I didn't want to be rude, but this bugged me.

"Um, this is kinda the Poseidon table, so yea…."

I didn't really know what to say.

The girl looked at me pathetically.

"And your point is…"

I stopped. Was I speaking in Chinese or something?

"Hello! This table is for Poseidon's kids only, so go to your own table."

The girl laughed.

"Or what?"

I widened my eyes.

"Do you wanna mess with my dad?"

The girl took a bite out of her apple and chuckled.

"I don't think he would mind. After all, I am daddy's little girl." She smiled.

I was starting to get really annoyed.

"My dad. You. Wow, you must really not know Poseidon."

The girl dropped her apple.

"Are you trying to tell me that you know more about Poseidon than me?"

I nodded sarcastically.

"Yea, pretty much."

The girl stood up, and the ground beneath me began to quiver silently.

"Percy, you are seriously like THE dumbest kid I've ever met. I'm Sydney, your sister."

I was in complete shock. How could my dad just pop some random daughter of his here without telling me? _Because that's what you asked the gods to do,_ said a voice in my head.

"So…" I began. "How long have you been here? And when did you get claimed?"

Sydney finished her apple and spoke, less angrily this time.

"Well, dad sent an escort to pick me up on Christmas, but…there was some trouble getting there. Nothing big. I got claimed the day I got here. Everyone was staring at me like I was some sort of freak or something."

She seemed to be changing the subject. I laughed.

"Yea, because girls who can make giant waves and earthquakes aren't freaks or anything," I joked.

Sydney's eyes sparkled.

"Well, at least I don't date nerdy girls!"

I pretended to be offended.

"Are you trying to insult Annabeth? Seriously though, I would advise against that. Well at least I don't look like an emo Barbie doll!"

Sydney gasped in fake shock.

"Seaweed Brain! Well, that's nothing coming from the guy who is best friends with a goat boy, who is dating a tree!"

We laughed for what seemed like hours, and I didn't even ask how she already knew my nickname. As dinner was ending, I asked about other Big Three kids. Sydney glanced around.

"Well, we have three kids of Hades, Nico, Sasha, and Amber."

I looked around, and noticed Nico and an older girl showing a younger girl around.

"Amber is the oldest, and Sasha is the seven year-old. Isn't she so cute?"

I laughed.

"Kinda. Ok, really cute. Anyone else related to me that I should know about?"

Sydney smiled.

"Well, you and I are all Poseidon has, but Zeus coughed up two kids, although not literally."

I tried to ignore her sense of humor.

"Anyways," she said. "Thalia is back with Artemis, so she doesn't count, but we have Lance and Chloe."

I looked behind me and saw a really muscular guy walking next to a slim and athletic looking girl. They both looked like their father, and I figured it would not be smart to fight with them.

Sydney continued.

"Other than that, everyone new is just minor or normal major. The only really powerful kids I've seen are those four from Apollo, who can really put up a fight, and this girl from Hecate, named Nikki. She's wicked beast with her magic, and hasn't lost to one fight. Even Clarisse won't try to challenge her. Oh, speaking of Clarisse!"

I looked up and groaned. Clarisse was walking toward us, and beamed when she saw Sydney.

"Hey girl, what's up? I didn't see you all day!"

Sydney laughed.

"Yea, I was busy running away from that kid from Apollo, Austin. He's always staring at me."

Clarisse cracked her knuckles.  
"I'll show him who to look at."

She smiled and then noticed me.

"Oh. Ew."

And then, Sydney and Clarisse just left. _Wow,_ I thought. _So much for that!_

I caught up with Annabeth, who had just finished talking to another Athena kid about architecture.

"Hey," I said. "I met Sydney."

Annabeth looked happy.

"Well, at least she didn't cause a swarm of sea cucumbers to follow you around everywhere for weeks."

I raised my eyebrows.

Annabeth laughed.

"Yes, that really did happen."

She pulled out a Rubik's cube, and solved it in about ten seconds. I was about to try when two girls dressed in all black stood in our way. The first girl wore a black tank top, and black jeans, and black sneakers. The second girl had a dark purple shirt on with black tight jeans. But strangely, she had no makeup, although she was pretty good looking (Don't tell Annabeth I said that). The girl in black studied me, and raised her eyebrows.

"Hello, Percy. My name is Jenna, daughter of Nemesis. Nice to meet you."

She glanced at Annabeth with a look of disgust, and stepped back. The girl in purple, who looked pretty smiled at us.

"Don't mind her. I'm Nikki, daughter of Hecate by the way. Oh and Annabeth, I know a quicker way to solve that."

Nikki waved her hand, and two Rubik's cubes appeared in the air. She snapped her fingers, and all the stickers flew off and rearranged themselves into a solved cube. She flicked her wrist, and the cube disappeared.

"Or, you could simply do this."

Nikki snapped her fingers, and the remaining cube exploded. Annabeth and I were shocked, and Nikki began to walk away.

"It was nice meeting you, Percy."

I glanced at Annabeth.

"Well, that was…interesting. Why did Jenna hate you?"

Annabeth scowled.

"Well, her mom, Nemesis is the goddess of revenge. But her other power is the punisher of hubris…of course."

I remembered passing the Sirens, and figuring out that Annabeth's fatal flaw was hubris.

"Oh…so Jenna, wants to punish you?"

Annabeth looked at me like I was an idiot.

"C'mon, I could totally take her!"

I laughed.

"Sure, Rubik's cubes really hurt."

Annabeth punched my arm.

"Shut up. Well, it's like ten o'clock, and I need sleep for a trip to Olympus and Capture the Flag tomorrow. Goodnight, Seaweed Brain."

She leaned in and kissed me, and then sprinted toward Cabin 6.

I smiled, and trudged over, past all the minor god cabins, and stepped into Cabin Three. I almost thought I had walked into the wrong cabin. There was now a big wall in the middle of the cabin, separating the cabin into two rooms. My side (the one that had a sign saying Seaweed Brain) was completely plain. The other had posters all over the door, and stickers and other random things. Music was blaring from the other side of the room, and I was actually kind of tired, so I opened the door to tell Sydney to shut up.

On a leather couch were Sydney and a boy with ragged brown hair making out. My jaw dropped.

"Who the hell is he?"

Sydney and the boy broke apart. Sydney looked furious, and the boy hurriedly ran out. Sydney's eyes flashed, and the cabin began to rumble.

"Percy! It's called knocking! Honestly, can't I get some privacy!?"

I looked taken aback.

"Sorry…I just didn't know you liked anyone."

The cabin stopped shaking, and Sydney looked sad.

"I don't. I just…He is a son of Zelos, the god of ice, so I wanted to see if he would be a good boyfriend, but no. He's not a very good kisser."

I nodded sarcastically.

"Uh huh…I'm just gonna go to bed now. Maybe you should go talk to Macy, that strong daughter of Aphrodite. She could help. Oh, and could you please turn down the music?"

Sydney smiled.

"What's that? Turn up the music? Will do, bro."

I scowled and shut the door as all four amps blasted to full volume. Our cabin was literally shaking from the sound. I could barely make out the sound of campers from other cabins yelling, but the music was so incredibly loud. After ten minutes of failed attempts to fall asleep, I burst into Sydney's room.

To my shock, she was sound asleep on her bed. I fumed with anger and unplugged the amps. Instantly, Sydney woke up.

"What the hell! I was listening to that!"

I started to get really angry.

"Ok, you know what? I'm not gonna let you boss me around and let you whatever you want just because you intimidate everyone! You don't scare me!"

Sydney smiled.

"Wow. All you had to do was ask nicely. By the way, can you move your hair a bit to the left? The viewers on YouTube need to clearly see your face."

I looked down, confused, and saw a small camera in Sydney's hand.

"Hey! Give me-

I was cut off by Sydney's foot slamming into my side, sending me flying into my room. I got up in pain, and fell on my bed, exhausted. _What a happy family we have here,_ I thought sarcastically.

*******************************************************************

Hope you like! Chapter 2 coming to you soon! Please review!!!!


	3. Chapter 2: Presents From Daddy

Chapter 2: Presents from Daddy

I woke up to the sound of something slamming against the door to my room. I jumped out of bed, not knowing what the heck was going on, and pulled the door open. Sydney was standing outside my door, completely dressed, and kicking my door with all her might. She glanced at me, and burst into laughter. Just waking up, I was still just in boxers.

"Put some clothes on," she laughed. "Not everyone wants to see that. Actually, no one would want to see that. Maybe Annabeth. Eh…"

I frowned at her, and closed my door, starting to put on clothes. As I swung a T-shirt over my head, I asked,

"So why exactly did you wake me up at 4:30 in the morning?"

Sydney sighed.

"Just put some pants on, and you'll see."

I scowled, and followed Sydney out of Cabin Three. She led me toward the beach, and I figured she was gonna start screaming, or something like that. Instead, she walked right up to the water and waited for me. When I got to her side, she spoke, in a voice that seemed unlike her. At least, unlike the psychopath weirdo I had met yesterday.

"Percy, I wanted to apologize for yesterday…I shouldn't have been so rude. I was irresponsible for bringing that kid in our cabin, and I was a total jerk to you." She sounded like she was starting to cry.

I looked at her, surprised.

"Sydney, you don't have to apologize for anything. I think you're hilarious, even if you do kinda act mean occasionally. I think we make a pretty good team."

Sydney smiled, and looked guilty.

"Well, the main reason I acted like that…was because I'm…well jealous. Of you and Annabeth. You guys are so cute together, and I just want something like that."

I put a hand around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, sis. Someone will come around. I'll call up some mental institutions; see who I can come up with."

She laughed sarcastically at my joke, and put me into a headlock.

"Oh ha-ha. Now, the main reason I brought you here was for…this."

She waved her hand, and the early morning waves parted. The sun gleamed upon the water's surface, and I made out two hippocampi speeding towards us. I stepped back, and the two sea creatures came to the surface. I smiled, and recognized Rainbow.

_Hiya! _said Rainbow. The second creature just snorted.

_Hey Rainbow,_ I thought.

I turned to Sydney.

"Um…any particular reasons there are two hippocampi here?"

She grinned.

"They have gifts. Daddy told me when you got here, he would send us presents. He told me when and where through an Iris message last night."

I nodded, could my dad be giving me?

Rainbow shifted, and a box floated on the surface. It was brown, and had a large gem in the middle. Sydney picked it up, and opened it.

Inside were a small, purple, circular object, and a small flask of silvery-blue liquid. Sydney picked up the circular thing, which turned out to be a bracelet. She spun it around, and it morphed into a large sword.

She smiled.

"Finally! When I first came here, Daddy gave me this bracelet that can turn into any weapon imaginable. Ares owed Dad a favor, so he had Hephaestus make this. So technically, it has the power of three gods. Cool, huh? _And, _it blends in with my skin."

I widened my eyes, and watched as Sydney placed the bracelet on her wrist. The purple shimmered, and suddenly, the bracelet was gone. She grinned.

"Open your gift."

I took the flask, and noticed a small piece of paper taped to the side. I ripped it off, and read

_For Anaklusmos_

I raised my eyebrows.

"So, do I give this to my sword or something?"

Sydney rolled her eyes.

"You pour that on your sword, Seaweed Brain. It will do something…mystical. Ooh, that is such a cool word!"

I laughed, and pulled out Riptide. The bronze gleamed in the sunlight, but I was nervous.

"Will this stuff, like stain?"

Sydney shrugged.

"I doubt it."

I sighed, and opened the flask. I hesitated, and poured the entire flask on Riptide. Even though I flipped the sword over to get both sides, none of the liquid spilled to the ground. The liquid instantly formed to the shape of the blade, almost as if it had a mind of its own. It was actually kinda creepy. Once the silver had covered the entire blade, it sat still, as if waiting for me to do something. Sydney gasped.

"Oh my gods! I've read about this. It forms onto any surface, even skin, and then you mix it with another substance, something with force, I think, and then it enables the first surface to, use that substance or something."

I nodded sarcastically.

"Oh thanks sis, that really cleared it up."

She nudged me playfully.

"Just mix the stuff with something you want your sword to have the power of!"

I thought about it, and then it came to me. It was actually pretty obvious. _Anaklusmos. Riptide._ _That's why Dad had us come to the ocean, _I thought. I looked up, and saw a tide that was randomly crashing into other tides, causing the natural flow of the sea to be disturbed. The powerful force slammed into the surface, and the water sprayed everywhere. A riptide!

I waded into the water, while Sydney stood there, and raised my sword high, careful not to get any "ordinary" water on the silver. When I got to the riptide, I could feel my powers getting all out of whack. I ignored the strange sensation and plunged the blade into the tide. Instantly, the entire wave literally forced itself into Anaklusmos, and suddenly, the sea was calm! The silver had disappeared, and my sword felt completely normal, not even the slightest bit heavier. I frowned, and waved my sword, trying to see if anything would happen. It did.

A huge wave flew from my blade and raced toward the shore, moving incredibly fast. Sydney barely had time to jump to the side before the giant tide slammed into the sand, causing a huge spray to fly into the air. I let the mist fall on my face, loving the feeling. Then a spurt of mud splashed into my face, and I looked up to see Sydney standing in front of me, her eyes narrowed.

"OK. If your sword now has mystical water powers, please! Go use them on monsters, or someone else! Not me!" she said, trying not to laugh.

I smiled.

"Sure thing, sis. Let's go get some food."

Of course, we were about two hours early for breakfast, but we filled in the time. Sydney told me all about her past, and I told her about my mom and Paul. We were still deep in conversation when a loud, conch shell interrupted our chat. Sydney laughed, and we got in line for food, fortunately being the first two. Of course, Sydney got to go first.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After breakfast, I decided to skip activities today. Sure, it wasn't really allowed to just wander around, but what the heck. I was wandering around through the woods when I bumped into Nikki, the daughter of Hecate. She was alone this time, but wearing an almost identical outfit.

"Hello, Percy," she said coolly. "How are you?"

Her voice was deep, and sent chills down my spine.

"Um…I'm fine." I said nervously.

Nikki smiled.

"That's good…"

She then went back to using magic, sending fire and other crazy spells flying through the woods. I watched in awkward silence, and then turned to leave. Nikki coughed.

"Is that all?"

I spun around.

"Uh…well what's up?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

Nikki smiled.

"Oh, I'm just trying to invent a new spell to show my mother. I call it the Wrath of Chaos. You see, my mom's good friend, Chaos, is the god of elements, even though he like, started everything in existence. ANYWAYS, I'm trying to make a spell where the four elements combine into one, big blast!"

I nodded.

"Sounds fun. Can I try?"

Nikki snorted.

"Well, why not?"

I walked over to her, and waited for her to show me the movement. She put her hands on my arms, sending a chill down my spine, and began to demonstrate. It was basically just some movements that seemed to draw in the elemental energy from around you, and then you force them out as one. She put one hand on my waist to show me the proper hip movement, when I heard a familiar voice, almost angry.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain! Can I…um…talk to you for a moment?"

I looked up, and saw Annabeth standing in the middle of the clearing. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I broke away from Nikki. Nikki cleared her throat.

"Hello, Annabeth. I was just showing Percy my new spell."

I turned.

"Just…learning a new spell…"

Annabeth made a fake smile.

"Of course! I mean, a son of Poseidon can definitely do magic spells! I must have missed that memo!"

She grabbed my arm hard, and pulled me away. I followed along, and thought I heard Nikki chuckle to herself.

I turned to Annabeth.

"Look, seriously, it wasn't anything like that, I swear."

Annabeth stopped.

"I know that. Anyways, I came to talk to you about capture the flag tonight. It's your first time with this many people, and you are going to need some explaining. First of all, we are using TONS of more woods area, so there is a lot more room for everyone to hide their flag. Second, there are about eighty people on each team, so things tend to get…a little crazy. Third, these minor god kids. They don't seem all that special, but some of their powers are pretty… well interesting. Just be aware that you are gonna encounter some new powers, and probably some that you don't know how to stop. Got all that?"

I nodded, wondering what powers I might discover tonight.

Annabeth started up again.

"Ok, and as for teams, its ordinary rules tonight. Sometimes, we do gods versus goddesses, sometimes minor versus major. Tonight, old school, good old capture the flag. Red team tonight is led by Ares, with Cratos, Morpheus, Janus, Nemesis, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Nike, Hebe, Hymera, Phoebetor, Hermes, and Hades. They didn't think it was fair that we already had Zeus and Poseidon. Anyways, Zeus is leading Blue team with Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Tyche, Nyx, Iris, Zelos, Aether, and Hecate. This should be a good fight!"

I frowned.

"Wait. They have Nike, the goddess of victory, right? How is that even fair?"

Annabeth laughed.

"Please. They are not gonna win just because of that! Apollo is the god of champions too. That's why they use laurel wreaths, one of his symbols. And, we have Tyche, the god of luck."

I shrugged. Annabeth laughed and we held hands, walking out of the woods. Lunch was normal, but Annabeth had a surprise for me. She and her friend from Demeter, Holly, led to the heart of the woods, until we came to a large oak tree. We stood in front of it for a few moments, until I coughed.

"Um…cool tree, huh?"

Annabeth punched my shoulder lightly.

"Just wait."

Holly giggled, and put her palm to the tree. The oak shuddered, and suddenly, a large doorway appeared. Annabeth nudged me forward, and I stepped into what has got to be the coolest tree house I'd ever seen. Well, it was the first and only tree house _inside _the tree I'd actually ever seen, but whatever. There were a few posters of random bands along the inside bark, but what really caught my eye were the three couches, snack bars, and a hot tub that connected to a mini pool! There was a foosball table, air hockey, ping pong, and even pool tables. It was like a teenager's dream house!

I immediately ran for the pool, and dove in, finding that it went at least twenty feet deep! I swam to the surface, and gaped at Holly.

"How! When!"

Holly blushed and giggled.

"Well, I was REALLY bored one day, and I asked Annabeth for some help…"

I smiled at Annabeth, who shrugged.

"It's not much, but it's a private place to just chill. And I have a perfect desk to work on Daedalus's laptop."

She pointed at a sophisticated looking chrome desk that had tons of drawers and little tools, pencils, and things like that. I looked around.

"I think I'm gonna like it here!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several hours later, it was time for Capture the Flag, one of my favorite things to do here at CHB. Dinner had been quiet, with almost everyone studying everyone else, trying to figure out who was a serious threat or not. I was perfectly calm- I didn't doubt that my team would win, because we had some pretty sweet cabins, in my opinion.

After dinner, every camper followed Chiron to the edge of the woods, where the large table op weapons and armor lay. Most kids who were new had no weapons, so they all scurried to retrieve the best item. I was left standing alone with Clarisse, Annabeth, Sydney, Lance, Chloe, Nico, Amber, Nikki, Austin, Chelsea, Monica, Reese, and a bunch of other kids who had been at camp for several years now. Lance had a hemp necklace that turned into a large broadsword, and it could morph into an axe. Chloe wielded a rapier, which had a slight curve to enhance her skill. Clarisse had her usual spear, and Annabeth had her dagger.

Nico pulled out a long blade that I recognized as the Sword of Hades. I was about to protest, because its power was deadly, but Nico assured me that the shield he had placed on it would only make the victim knocked out. And apparently, Zeus and my dad had found out, and severely diminished the power of the sword, which didn't make Hades and Persephone too happy, but oh well. Amber was holding a small bow with a quiver slung on her back, and I noticed a belt on her jeans that held several throwing knives.

Austin had his bow and a medium-sized bag on his back, Chelsea had a small sword about the size of Riptide, with a golden shine, but something told me there was more to her than that. Monica also had a short bow, but she shared the mysterious aura that Chelsea had. Her bow seemed to glow crimson, reflecting the color of the sun perfectly. Reese looked completely confident with his weapon, which he kept twirling around so I couldn't really tell what the heck it was. Something about the four of them made me feel uncomfortable, almost like the feeling I got when I was near a god or goddess. It was obvious that these half-bloods had some serious power.

I looked over and saw Sydney fiddling with her bracelet, looking distracted. I was about to ask her what was up when Chiron sounded the horn, and we all headed into the woods to begin the game.

Lance led us into a clearing near Zeus's Fist and stood on a fallen tree so everyone could see him.

"Ok, listen up!" he shouted loudly. "We are facing a tough team tonight, but I know we can do this! Alright, I want Aphrodite, Zelos, Tyche, and Iris to play midfielders, but try to stay back. Red has got a lot of kids tonight. Demeter, Hecate, and Apollo are going to be our main defense, but I'll pick a select few to guard the flag. Chiron has upped the flag-guarder number to 6 since there are so many more campers. Anyways, Athena, Aether, and Nyx will play offense, but preferably more to the border, taking out enemies. No offense, but we need to really strategize with this many people. We can't just have fifty of us storm them- it would make this game pointless. And Zeus and Poseidon will be lead offense. By the way, flag-guarders are the four Apollo kids, Holly, and Nikki. Co-captains will be Annabeth from Athena, Chloe from Zeus, and Macy from Aphrodite. OK guys, get to your positions."

Annabeth nodded, seemingly impressed with Lance's ideas. Some campers looked upset with their positions, and some even glanced enviously at me, Sydney, Chloe, and Lance. I didn't see why Lance had all the Big Three kids be the main offense if he wanted this game to be exciting, but whatever. I watched Annabeth and the others walk away, and found myself alone in the clearing with the last three.

Chloe stared at me for a few moments, and then spoke.

"I hear you're good at this game, Jackson. Don't let us down. OK. Lance will take left flank from ground, Sydney and I will take middle flank, from aerial and ground, possibly with the help of some Aether kids. Jackson, you'll take the far right flank, where there flag is most likely to be."

Lance coughed, sounding annoyed.

"Um, Chloe, why don't you switch Jackson and me?"

Chloe looked at her brother.

"Because I think Percy is more of a team player, less ambitious, and way less arrogantly obnoxious than you."

Lance opened up his mouth to say something, and then closed it in embarrassment. Sydney giggled and whispered to me,

"Fail."

I smiled, and glanced at Chloe gratefully. She returned the smile with a concentrated frown, as if she was deliberately holding in all emotion. She blinked, and said softly,

"Let the games begin."

The horn sounded in the distance, and we were gone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Thanks for reading! Sorry not much exciting happened in this chapter (especially since it took me FOREVER to post), but I PROMISE next chapter is all action-packed, completely focusing in on the new powers of minor gods and goddesses, and as always, the awesome skills of our favorite heroes.. If you have any cool ideas, you know where to find me ____ as always, please review!_


	4. Chapter 3: Capture the Flag Gone Wild

Chapter 3:

I jogged through the woods, looking around for someone on the Red team. The forest was eerily silent, and a slight chill snuck up my back. I figured it was just nerves, but with someone like me, you never know. I slowed down, trying to listen for movement, but heard nothing. If you haven't noticed, I get really into this game. REALLY. INTO. IT.

I stepped aside to avoid to a tree, and froze. Something had just rustled in the bushes behind me. I slowly spun around, but nothing was there. _Probably just some monster, _I thought, facing front.

I barely had time to duck before the bullet would've gone straight through my face. Three skeleton warriors were standing about ten feet away from me, all holding pistols. I gulped. These were the same skeletons that tried to kill me a few years ago- and did I mention that they are invincible? I noticed a figure behind them, and the warriors stepped aside, revealing Nico. His arms were crossed, and looked impatient.

"Percy, Percy…You really think you'll get past me?" He said skeptically. "I know what Chloe's plan was. I am everywhere, in the shadows, always watching. Seriously, you shouldn't underestimate me."

"Uh, Nico? Maybe these things are a bit dangerous…" I tried to say.

He waved his hands, and the soldiers pressed the triggers. I figured I was done for when the bullets were slammed out of the air, flying straight up into the air. I whirled around, a saw a boy of about fifteen facing Nico with a determined look on his face. The boy wore a white T-shirt under an unzipped jacket, and plaid shorts. He was a bit taller than me, and had bright, golden eyes. His eyes narrowed, and nodded at me, walking forward. Nico laughed.

"What's this? A son of Aether thinking he can defeat my unstoppable force? Wow, we seriously need to work on our intelligence levels here."

The son of Aether smirked.

"Actually, BoneBoy, I don't think I can beat your skeletons. I _know_ I can."

Nico sniggered loudly.

"That has got to be one of the oldest comebacks, ever!"

The son of Aether shrugged.

"It works for me."

He waved his hands, and the air around me began whipping around in strong waves. I grabbed onto a tree as leaves began flying everywhere, and a strong beam of light fell down onto the clearing. My body was lifted into the air, and I stabbed Riptide into the tree to hang on. The piercing light was painful, and even with my eyes slammed shut I could feel the power of the sun radiating into the clearing. The skeletons were blinded, and Nico was screaming. The warriors began to tremble, and then slowly, the vortex ripped apart their bones. Nico's forces were torn apart in front of him, and he was forced to watch as their bones flew into opposite corners of the forest. Nico bit his lip, and ran away.

I smiled, and let go of the tree. The light vanished, returning the clearing to its dark state. The son of Aether released his hold on the air, and turned to me.

"Hey, Percy. My name's Kyle. You're welcome."

And with that, Kyle was gone, vanishing through the trees. I frowned, thinking, _well that was incredibly random!_

I continued my walk through the woods, wondering what I would come across next.

My ears were beginning to pick up the sound of voices and shouts, so I knew I was getting closer to the flag.

_This is it! _I thought. _Time to show Lance that he isn't all that._

I was getting pretty confident when I stepped in a bunch of mud, getting my shoe filthy. I groaned, and began wiping my shoe against a tree. Almost all of the mud had come off when I looked up, and saw a boy of about sixteen standing a couple of yards away, dressed in all red. He wore no armor at all and no visible weapons.

I frowned, and stepped forward, pulling out Riptide at the same time.

"Hi."

The boy cracked his knuckles.

"Shut up. I'm not here to talk. Cratos will triumph over Poseidon."

I raised my eyebrows. Someone was a little cranky.

"Did Sydney do something to you? Look, I'm sorry. I know she's all psycho and-

"Shut up!" the boy said. "I don't have time for your incessant prattling! I'm just gonna knock you out and move on."

Two things. No one tells me they've had enough of my "incessant prattling". If Annabeth can deal with it on a daily basis, so should everyone else. And who says that anyway? Second, I didn't really get how this kid was going to knock me out…?

The kid started walking towards me, flexing his arm muscles. I gulped, and uncapped Riptide. The bronze gleamed, but the boy just smirked and kept walking towards me. He pulled his fist back and was about to swing when something slammed into his "lower stomach" area, sending him flying face-first into the mud. The air shimmered, and Annabeth appeared, smiling.

"You're so lucky you have me around, Percy." She smirked.

I grinned.

"What would I ever do without you?"

Annabeth frowned.

"Is that sarcasm I hear?"

I shrugged.

"Maybe. Now how's the game going?"

Annabeth bit her lip.

"Not so great. Ares, Hephaestus, Morpheus, and Phoebetor have charged our border. All the Morpheus kids are putting everyone to sleep, and Phoebetor making it worse with nightmares. Although, Aphrodite is surprisingly putting up a good defense tonight. That Macy girl had guys literally bowing down to her. She's kinda scary."

I nodded.

"Ok, well I'm gonna go and try-

Before I could finish my sentence, loud shouts interrupted the silent clearing. We turned, and about twenty Hermes and Nemesis kids came sprinting out of nowhere, drawing swords and daggers. Annabeth jumped.

"Percy, go! Get the flag!"

I nodded, and ran off to my left. I had only gone about twenty yards when a group of Janus kids cut me off, smirking. I was trapped, and Annabeth was long gone. I waved Riptide, but these campers weren't afraid of the blade like monsters. There was no way I could take about thirty campers from all around. I decided to try anyway, but suddenly, all light disappeared, swallowing the entire woods in complete darkness. I started freaking out, fearing that someone would try to stab me in the dark and forget the "no maiming" rule, but a voice whispered in my ear.

"Percy, my name is Helena. I'm a daughter of Nyx, the goddess of night. There is a path right in front of you that leads straight towards their flag. Run!"

I decided not to argue and started sprinting forward, keeping my hands outstretched in case of a tree. I met nothing, and soon I was able to see again. I stopped running, but walked quickly. I could hear sounds of metal, screaming, and other strange noises. I stepped over a tree root and suddenly there was a strange light ahead of me. I stepped backwards, and it disappeared. Curious, I inched forward, until the light returned, forming an Iris message. It was a girl about my age, speaking from somewhere in the woods.

"Hello, Perceus Jackson. This is an automated Iris voice message. You are within 100 yards of the Red Flag. Be careful. Once you make contact with the flag, Nyx campers will provide an safe escape route, and Zelos campers will be transported with Demeter campers to your location, escorting you safely to the Blue border. Good luck. Do not let your team down. Oh, and be careful when you touch the flag, as traps and decoys may be set up."

And with that, the message was gone. 100 yards from the flag? Wow. I crept forward, expecting a mass of Red campers to charge from behind a tree, but none came. It was getting pretty loud now, with all the yelling and fighting. Everyone sounded very close, yet I didn't see anyone. A bend was coming up, and I figured this must be where the flag was. I had never been in this far section of the woods, so uncharted territory was a bit creepy. I was about to turn the corner when I felt something tug gently on my arm. I yelped and spun around, only to find the most adorable little girl looking up at me with big, mushy blue eyes.

"H-hewwo…" the girl stammered. "Wwherez my mommy?"

I almost burst into tears, which is a rare thing for me.

"Awww! Ok, um, well…."

I didn't know what to do. This little girl of three of four was all alone!

_How could she have gotten in camp though? _I thought to myself.

_Maybe she wandered in. I mean, we are pretty deep in the woods…maybe the magical boundaries break off after a while?_

I figured the best thing to do would be to take this little girl all the way back to Chiron, and see what he thinks. Sadly, it would mean walking back all the way; ruining any chance I had of capturing the flag. I looked at the girl once more, and knew I had no choice.

"I'm gonna take you to a good man," I comforted her. "He'll help you find your mommy."

I grabbed her hand, and led her back to camp.

*******************************************************************

1 HOUR LATER

*******************************************************************

Finally, we reached Zeus's Fist. The boulders were only about 10 minutes from camp, so I set the girl down and decided to rest my sore legs for a few minutes. The little girl was half asleep, and was mumbling to herself.

"Mommy….wherez my…mommy"

_Aww, how cute!_

"N-nice…boy…take me too mommy…"

_This girl is so adorable!_

"Sttupid….sun….of Pooziiiidon…"

_Aww! WAIT WHAT???????_

I stood up, and the little girl's giggle became a deep chuckle, and she morphed into a teenage girl with long blonde hair.

"What the-"

The girl grinned.

"Daughter of Hebe, goddess of youth. Youth=baby. Think harder next time, BubbleBoy."

She turned around and sprinted away. I sat there, dumbfounded.

I had been tricked by a four year old girl.

The four year old girl wasn't really four years old!!?!?!?!?!!?! FTW.

BubbleBoy? Come on, even Seaweed Brain is better than that!

That girl brought me all the way back to the edge of Blue territory.

Never trust cute little girls. EVER! Don't fall for the puppy dog eyes.

_Well that was really stupid. Seriously, that girl just ruined my game! The Red team probably won by now._

I started walking toward the Blue flag, when a huge explosion of fire ripped through the air, not even 30 yards from me. The heat rippled towards me, causing my eyes to tear. _Hopefully no one got hurt…_

I ran to the open space and discovered a huge battle taking place. More than half the red team was attacking, and the Blue Flag was atop a large rock, behind the battle. I tried to look for Blue campers, but didn't see any. Huh?

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted six Blue kids, unleashing loads of power on the Red forces. Holly was throwing trees at them (yes, actual trees!), Nikki was unleashing some purple spell that blasted campers fifty feet in the air, and then threw them across the forest. Ouch. And then, I saw the four Apollo kids. Well, it was hard to "see" them because they were almost a blur, moving around and attacking so fast.

Reese was sprinting around, blinding people with light and then kicking them in the face, punching anyone in his way. Monica and Chelsea ran backwards and started shooting flaming arrows, ones that would explode on impact, ripping apart any armor and metal it came near. Austin was fighting three Ares kids at once, including Clarisse, who looked pretty angry. Austin shot arrows, swung his bow into a blade, and shot fire and light at everyone in sight. These four were…amazing!

I sprinted into the fight, drawing Riptide. I immediately was attacked by ten campers, and I was too busy to see what cabin they were from. I swung Anaklusmos so hard I shattered one girl's sword into pieces, and roundhouse kicked another boy in the neck. I jabbed a few kids in the pressure spots Annabeth had told me about, and they fell instantly. After five minutes of this, Clarisse sprinted away from Austin, outraged.

"Retreat! Go back, you idiots!"

The army fell back, but several of the head counselors and good fighters stayed back. Monica fought some beefy kid from Hephaestus, and Chelsea was in an intense fight with Amber, Nico's older sister. I watched as Monica kicked the boy off the boulder with out even glancing, and Chelsea launched a ray of light at Amber. Monica backed off as Amber disappeared, reappearing behind Chelsea. I was about to warn her when she spun around, releasing a flare of fire. Amber side-stepped, but lost her footing on the rock, falling backwards, slamming her head into the ground. She was out cold. Monica and Chelsea high-fived, and began shooting arrows at Clarisse, who was already getting assaulted by Reese.

Reese twirled his unknown weapon around, and Clarisse stepped back, almost afraid. She put a determined look on her face, and then charged her spear. Reese smiled, and vanished in a flash of fire. Clarisse ran straight through it, and her hair caught on fire. She screamed like a banshee, and Reese appeared behind her. He kicked her in the stomach, knocking her down, and she tried to trip him, but he jumped and punched her in the side. She yelled in pain, and ran away, roaring.

Reese smiled, and Austin came over, doubled up in laughter. I shook my head in disbelief, turning. Annabeth was fighting Jenna, and they were both serious. Jenna swung her rapier through the air as Annabeth jumped aside, slicing the air where her head was. Annabeth vanished, only to appear behind her, kicking Jenna's sword away, placing her dagger to her throat.

"Get-out-of- HERE!" Annabeth screamed as she kicked her away. Jenna snarled, recoiling into the trees, snapping her fingers.

"Did she just curse you?" I asked jokingly.

Annabeth laughed.

"She wishes."

Holly raced over, and glanced at us.

"Percy! Annabeth! I configured a tunnel in my tree to take us right into the Red Flag space!"

Annabeth beamed at her.

"I swear Holly; you have some Athena blood in you."

Holly took that as a compliment, and gestured us toward the tall tree. We followed, and clambered inside. Holly led us down a staircase to an underground tunnel that went straight, so far until it went black.

"Uh, Holly?" I asked. "Is this tunnel safe?"

Annabeth punched my arm.

"He's kidding."

Annabeth and I sprinted down the passageway, but I had to stop. Annabeth glared impatiently as I leaned against the wall. I didn't have time to explain why I was so tired. She scowled and opened her backpack, tossing a canteen at me. I barely caught it, and drank the entire case of nectar. It was my mom's blue cupcakes, liquidy and warm. Yum. Annabeth raised her eyebrows when I handed her the empty canteen, but I shrugged and started running, totally invigorated and recharged.

We reached the end of the tunnel in about 45 minutes, and I was wondering how the game was still going on.

"Annabeth," I asked. "How is the game still going?"

She looked like I had just asked her what continent we were on.

"Well, there's like, 150 people running around, screaming, and beating the crap out of each other. It usually takes a good five, six hours nowadays. You are only used to the one hour games. Those days are long gone."

I laughed, and we climbed up the staircase made from vines. A hole in the earth opened when I got to the top, and I climbed out.

In split-second, I noticed a couple of things.

1. I was five feet from the flag.

2. There was an even bigger battle going on here.

3. There were twenty Red Team campers surrounding Annabeth and I.

4. Oh shit.

Annabeth jumped up, and I pulled out Riptide, knowing we were gonna get captured. The campers inched towards us when there was a loud, "Tarzan-like" war cry.

I looked up to see Sydney riding the crest of a giant, 50 foot wave, racing towards us. The campers spun around, and began running away. Sydney followed them, and crashed the wave. Water sprayed everywhere, knocking people off their feet. I barely had time to grab Annabeth before a giant current hit us. We stood there, in this underwater state for about twenty seconds, until we surfaced. Annabeth gasped for air. Oops.

A bunch of Zelos kids took the opportunity to freeze all the water, trapping about half of the red army in thick ice. Woo Hoo!

Clarisse had managed to stay dry, and was now fighting Lance. Clarisse thrust her spear forward, the crackling electrical energy slicing Lance's arm. Lance seemed unbothered, and waved his hands. He flew twenty feet in the air, and repeated the air vortex Kyle had made earlier. Everyone was thrown around, and Clarisse's mass weighed her down (hehe). She frowned as he raised his hands to the sky, but still didn't move. The air began to crackle, and the hair on my neck rose. Uh oh.

I looked worriedly at Clarisse, who should by now be screaming like a six year old girl. She just laughed. Then, in almost slow motion, the lightning bolt flew towards the earth. I made sure the kids in the water wouldn't get electrocuted, and glanced up. Clarisse threw her spear in the air, and dived out of the way just in time. The lightning bolt hit the ground, but Clarisse didn't appear to be hurt. _How?_ The spear which had flown through lightning, caught on fire, and hit Lance in the stomach. Luckily he was wearing armor, but he still got the wind knocked out of him, and fell to the ground, passing out.

Clarisse looked around with a confused look, and then narrowed her eyes. Chloe waved her arms, and the air turned to normal. Obviously, Chloe had saved Clarisse, otherwise she would have died. Chloe walked forward, revealing her rapier, and Clarisse summoned a few weapons at will. A large sword appeared in her right hand, and a rocket launcher appeared in her left. Chloe smirked, and Clarisse pulled the trigger.

The rocket shot forward, and Chloe released a bolt of energy seconds later. They collided in mid-air, causing a huge explosion. The smoke didn't clear for a few seconds, but when it did, Chloe was gone. Clarisse roared.

"That little coward! Come back here!"

She stepped toward me, dropping the rocket launcher, wielding the sword.

"You'll do, Jackson."

I walked forward to meet her, but someone got there first. Austin.

I stared. "Austin! Aren't you supposed to be guarding the flag?????"

He chuckled.

"Well, they can take care of it. I wanted to settle a score with Clarisse."

Clarisse laughed.

"I'd love to see you try and beat me, punk."

Although she did look a bit nervous, she marched forward. Austin giggled to himself, then started running around Clarisse, reciting obnoxious poems and haikus. Clarisse got annoyed quickly and demanded him to fight properly, but he just cackled.

"Clarisse…is a beast…she likes feasts…she also likes grease…she's got some yeast-"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Clarisse shouted, spinning her broadsword in circles.

Austin finally stopped, and opened his backpack.

"Fine. ChunkyGirl is having a bad day, I'll try a different approach," he muttered loudly.

Clarisse roared and charged, and Austin pulled out…a clarinet?

"Doo-ddoo, doo-doo-dlio!" Austin played some funky rhythm, outrunning Clarisse.

All of a sudden, Austin whirled around, and took a huge breath. I realized what he was about to do, and covered my ears. He blew into the clarinet so hard it burst into flames, and a huge sonic wave flew forward, slamming into Clarisse, sending her flying into a tree. Everyone cheered, and I ran to Austin.

"Dude that was awesome!" I congratulated.

Austin grinned.

"Never underestimate the power of music!"

I laughed, and sprinted over to the flag. I glanced around, looking for any obvious traps. There were none, so I picked up the flag. Immediately, the clearing burst into light, like daytime. A siren went off, and tons of Red campers started pouring into the clearing trying to save the flag. Sadly, they didn't know about the ice.

As campers slipped and slid, I willed the frozen water to slide me to the edge quickly, and then started sprinting toward our side. I dodged behind trees as arrows and other weapons flew at me. I tried to confuse my followers, mix up my path. Annabeth was sprinting behind me, her dagger in hand.

I saw Holly pop out of the earth a few hundred yards up with about 20 Blue campers, and they prepared to escort me safely. They circled us, and began running. We spotted the border, where a huge battle was taking place. Apparently this kid from Hephaestus, Garrett (Beckendorf's prodigy apprentice), had taken the flag, and was outrun by the Blue team at the border. His team was trying to get it, but the Blue team had him surrounded. Somehow, he was fending them all off. And that's when they noticed us.

They all started screaming and running towards us, when Annabeth pushed me away.

"Go!"

I ran around, but the Red team just followed me. My protectors began fighting, and that's when I saw them. Clarisse and Sydney were fighting on the exact borderline, and it was vicious. As I ran around them, Clarisse shouted,

"Oh no you don't!"

She shot a rocket at me, and I dodged it time to have the border line catch on fire. Uh-oh. There was no water around for me to douse it with, so I was trapped. I heard Sydney yell, and saw her get knocked out by a blow to the head from Clarisse.

Clarisse picked up her sword, breathed heavily, and ran at me. Time seemed to slow down as I turned, looking desperately for a way across the fire. I saw movement across the line, and noticed Monica and Chelsea waving their hands like crazy. I understood what they meant and threw the flag with all my might over the border. Clarisse roared and stopped charging, watching the flag sail through the air. Monica and Chelsea got ready to catch it, when Garrett came out of nowhere and tackled them both out of the way, the Blue flag still in his hand. As the three wrestled, the flag began to spiral downward.

_No! If the flag touches the ground, it goes back to their side!_

I tried to stomp on the fire, but to no avail. I suddenly remembered my dad's gift, and slashed Riptide through the air, creating a large wave to douse the fire. I ran forward, outstretching my arms, and…WHAM!

Clarisse tackled me from behind, and I fell to the ground, right where the flag's sharp end should've skewered my brain. I braced for impact, but nothing came. Instead, my ears were greeted with a roar of happiness and cheers. Ugh. Garrett must have gone over the path I had made. Wonderful.

Suddenly, Clarisse started moaning.

"NO! JACKSON, I'll POUND YOUR AS-"

"YEA PERCY!" Annabeth shouted. I got up and saw the Blue Team jumping, screaming, laughing.

"How did we win?" I asked.

Annabeth grinned.

"Reese shot an arrow, and it pinned the flag to a tree!"

I smiled.

"Thank the gods!"

We had won.

*******************************************************************

First of all, SORRY. I took months to write this because Im so lazy in the summer, please forgive me.

Second, thanks for reading this!

Third, please review!

Fourth, I know there isn't much plot yet, but I promise PROMISE PROMISE the next chapter will introduce the main plot for this story.

Fifth, PLEASE REVIEW! Lol. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 4: Yet Another Quest

Chapter 4: Yet Another Quest…

I woke up, feeling the harsh rays of the sun shine through my curtains. I covered my eyes, and got dressed, remembering just how exhausted I was. Last night's Capture the Flag had lasted over five hours, and my body was sore enough to testify. I slowly walked outside, realizing how late it was. The sun was already overhead, meaning breakfast had come and gone. There were campers running around, doing their daily activities, but there seemed to be less people than usual. I stared around, confused, until I noticed an Iris message floating above my head. It was Annabeth.

"Hey, Percy," she said irritably. "It's about time you got up. We're having a counselor meeting, remember? Starting immediately after breakfast? We are all waiting for you, very annoyed. HURRY UP!"

I blushed, and started running towards the Big House. Since there were tons more cabins and counselors, Chiron had the Hephaestus Cabin build a new room for meetings, one that could fit everyone. I walked into the room and saw everyone glare at me. I grinned sheepishly, and sat down in the empty chair covered in seashells.

As I looked around the room, I saw Chloe leading Zeus (Lance was not happy), Amber for Hades, I was representing Poseidon (duh), Annabeth for Athena, Luke (not evil Luke!!) for Hephaestus, a girl named Jackie for Dionysus, the four kids for Apollo, Clarisse for Ares, Connor and Travis for Hermes, Macy for Aphrodite, Holly from Demeter, Nikki from Hecate, Kyle for Aether, Jenna from Nemesis, a boy named Jesse for Janus, a girl called Hannah from Morpheus, a dark-haired boy named Maxx for Phoebetor, a girl named Stephenie for Tyche, an older girl called Aurora for Zelos, the beefy boy from last night named Nicholas from Cratos, a cute girl named Ellie from Iris, the "little girl" from last night named Stella for Hebe, an athletic looking boy named Steven for Nike, a girl named Elise for Hemera, and Helena from Nyx. Obviously there weren't any counselors for undetermined, Hera, Hestia, or Artemis, so there were 28 counselors representing 25 cabins. Grover was away at some boarding school, where he had supposedly sniffed out some Big Three children.

Before we get started, I have some good news. No, not good. GREAT! AMAZING! STUPENDOUS! FANTASTICLY AWESOME TERRIFICLY TREMENDOUS NEWS! Dionysus is no longer working at camp. OMG. Zeus gave him a break after the war, and now Chiron is in charge of everything! WOO. I mean, aw darn!

Chiron sat at the head of the long, oval-shaped table, looked stern.

"Good morning," he announced in a brisk tone. "It seems we have all gotten a good night's rest," he added, giving me a look. "I have called you all here because a certain matter has come to my attention. As you all know, Kronos is a Titan, therefore he can never truly be wiped away. He is gone for the time; however, several of his followers are not."

Counselors began whispering to each other, glancing worried looks around the room. Chiron began to speak again.

"To get to the point, the Titans Oceanus and Tethys are on the move. Lord Poseidon did all he could to eradicate them during the war, but it was not enough. They are currently somewhere in the deep Pacific, hiding their location from Poseidon. They are brewing up a large storm, large enough to flood half of our world. Oceanus is set on destroying Western Civilization, in turn destroying the gods, and Tethys is cooperating to take over the underwater kingdom. If one of them succeeds, the other will most certainly be guaranteed victory."

I gaped in horror, and glanced at Annabeth, who was squeezing her knuckles so hard they were white. I looked back up at Chiron, and spoke.

"So are we gonna try and stop them?"

Chiron nodded.

"Of course, Percy, but it is a bit more complicated than that. Poseidon is getting closer on tracking their exact location, but it is extremely difficult. These Titans are two of the most powerful oceanic deities ever to exist. Now, we believe that the Titans are trying to take over the underwater kingdom first, in order to succeed at flooding the world. Sadly, it will be almost impossible to stop them, but we will never stop trying. As for their powers- they can do everything Percy and Sydney can do, and then multiply those by 100,000. They also have developed a very useful power: Aqua Projecting. It is very similar to the concept of astral projection (the four Apollo kids sat up a bit straighter). With this ability, the Titans can transport themselves anywhere across the world, into any part of any ocean. We fear that Oceanus will conjure up the terrible storm, and move it to a major coastal city, such as New York."

A terrible scene played in my mind; water flooding Manhattan Island, people drowning and buildings collapsing. We had to stop this.

I piped up,

"Chiron, is there any way we can set up some protection for these coastal cities?"

He looked at me.

"We already have some shields up. For those of you who didn't know, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is really serving as a great barrier."

Connor and Travis chuckled.

"We never would've guessed that one!"

Chiron silenced them with one look.

"The London Eye is protecting the Great Britain Coast, and countless other landmarks do the same. Mount Olympus in New York will protect that coast, and Poseidon currently has his main throne off the coast of Florida. He has sent legions upon legions of forces to protect all of Africa, the Southern and Western United States, and parts of Asia. The only places left completely vulnerable are Antarctica, the North Pole, and little blind spots across the world."

I looked around the room, sensing all the fear. A knot twisted in my stomach, and I could tell that even right now, dark forces were taking over my dad's kingdom. _Not on my watch._

"So what are we going to do about this, Chiron?"

It was Nikki, who was of the only people in the room who didn't look scared. Chiron looked at her with a steely eye, and replied,

"Well, obviously we need a quest."

Groans filled the room. I found myself letting out a small gasp.

Chiron declared louder,

"However, we will need a multiple quests on a much higher scale. We will take groups ten from all the counselors, and split them across the world. Poseidon had requested the specific personal help of his two children, but, err; I felt it would be more productive to politely refuse the offer. Anyways…"

He changed the subject quickly without looking at me, and I widened my eyes. _My father wants my personal help and Chiron said no? What the hell?_

I leaned over to whisper to Annabeth but stopped when Chiron began announcing quests.

"…will be leading that group. On to Group 7…Percy will lead this group, into the frozen tundra up north."

"Uhh..." I stammered. Cold weather wasn't really my thing.

"I know the North Pole doesn't seem like a threat," Chiron said. "But the gods have detected a strong force up there- possibly even connected to the Titan problem."

"Group 7 will be our largest squad, with ten counselors. Percy, your other nine group members will be given to me at dinner tonight. All quests begin tomorrow morning. Pick well!"

I sighed. Groups 1-6 were being led by Aurora, Maxx, Stephenie, Hannah, Stella, and Luke, all in respective orders. _Ugh,_ I thought. _All day to pick 9 people…._

I walked outside when the meeting was concluded and sat down under Thalia's pine tree. _Who to pick, who to pick, _I asked myself. I made a mental conversation.

_Well, it's gonna be cold. Very cold. We'll need people who can move fast, and get things done without any problems. I'll need elite fighters who can withstand the weather and will do whatever it takes._

Then, I made a list of the campers I already had in mind.

_1. Me. Obviously._

_2. Chloe. She was a great leader and fighter._

_3. Austin. He's one of the four prophesized kids._

_4. Monica. Also one of those four._

_5. Chelsea. That's right, you got it. One of the four._

_6. Reese. Wait. Maybe I should hear this prophecy first…_

_7. Clarisse. She's a pain, but a great fighter and a loyal friend._

_8. Nikki. Magic comes in handy, & she's powerful- intellectually and physically._

_9. Luke. His mechanic skills and ability to build anything would be very useful._

_10. UNDECIDED._

Now I know, the first thing you think after reading that is _WHERE THE HELL IS ANNABETH ON THIS LIST!?!?!?!?!?!??!!?_

The thing is, I don't know how dangerous this trip will be, and if the gods say there is a powerful force up there, I don't know if I want to risk losing her. It's not that she's not good enough or something like that, I just can't lose her. Hopefully she'll understand. _Yea, like that's gonna happen,_ a voice in the back of my mind said.

*******************************************************************

I had been watching counselors all day, testing their fighting and cooperation skills. My top three picks for Spot Number 9 were Kyle, Holly, and Elise. I was leaning towards Kyle, since me, Austin, and Reese would be the only boys on the trip, and he was very powerful. However, Holly and Elise were both incredibly fast, using their powers to overcome any obstacle. Holly took down 20 Ares and Hephaestus kids in less than 30 seconds, and Elise defeated everyone if Arena 1 in ten seconds. She blinded everyone with light, and then karate-chopped them all down. Holly used nature to its extreme, but I was weary, especially since there would hardly be any nature up north. In addition, Elise had mastered several styles of hand to hand combat. Apparently her mortal father was like some ninja martial artist, and he taught her the coolest things.

She had this ability where she jabbed you in your body's pressure points, and then you were temporarily paralyzed. She also had these arrows made out of light that she shot from her palms. Her mom had designed them so they would overheat whatever they came in contact with, usually setting it on fire. Oh, and it would explode with light so bright it was painful.

_Looks like you've found your choice, _I thought.

_But what about Annabeth? She's your girlfriend, remember?_

*******************************************************************

DINNER

*******************************************************************

After I had eaten and sacrificed, Chiron had all the leaders go to the Big House for their prophecies, and then they would return to announce their picks. I waited in line at the trapdoor, watching counselors come down, wide-eyed, muttering lines to themselves. When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and climbed up. The creepy attic still spooked me out of my mind, but the Oracle wasn't as bad now. Rachel smiled at me, and gestured for me to move closer.

"Hey Rachel!" I said happily. "How's it going?"

She opened her mouth, and green mist filled the room, and I heard her speak louder, like a chorus of men and woman combining their voices.

_There will be ten that journey to the cold,_

_Just as the tragic plot begins to unfold._

_True hardships and suffering always await,_

_All the while friends become the bait._

_Betrayal and Death linger just around the bend,_

_And for two the magic of life shall end._

_Three orbs of mystery abate the Keep,_

_And all will endure the Revenge of the Deep._

When Rachel finished, she slumped over, unconscious. My heart quickened, and I rushed out of the attic feeling jumpy and nervous. I made my way to the pavilion just as the leader of Group 5 had picked his team. Chiron smiled at me and pointed at the podium. I stepped up slowly, avoiding Annabeth's glance. Everyone was staring at me, and my heart was already in my throat from the prophecy. I began to speak in a shaky yet formidable tone.

"Ok…So…Well I picked my nine companions…and I think I did well on my choices. I just want to put it out there, that if I didn't pick you, and you were uh, expecting it, it's not that I don't want you along. It's because this journey will be really dangerous, and I don't want to see anyone get hurt…"

I trailed off, and guiltily looked at Annabeth. She smiled back, not sensing anything was wrong. I continued,

"So, here are my choices."

"Chloe, from Zeus. Austin, Monica, Chelsea, and Reese from Apollo. Clarisse from Ares. Nikki from Hecate. Luke from Hephaestus."

The eight counselors I had called all stood up, grinning to themselves. Chiron leaned closer.

"Percy, your ninth choice?"

He sent me a knowing look of understanding and sympathy, and nodded.

"Right." I stammered.

"My ninth choice…was…Elise from Hemera."

Elise stood up, looking dumbfounded, and I returned the smile. I looked at Annabeth to apologize, but she was gone. _Uh oh._ Chiron coughed loudly.

"Ok! Well, you nine will meet Percy here at dawn, where you will be transported onto a boat heading north. I trust you will all work together to understand the prophecy and safely complete your mission. Good luck to you all."

I started to walk away, but Chiron caught my shoulder.

"Percy, I understand your situation and I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you about your father."

I glared up at his human face.

"Yea. Why did you refuse to let me help him?"

Chiron looked away.

"For the same reason why you didn't choose Annabeth. Percy, you are one of my most valuable campers…I couldn't lose you."

I watched him quickly wipe away a tear, and I smiled.

"Thanks, Chiron. It really means a lot."

I hugged him, and he trotted away, smiling.

I rushed out of the pavilion, and ran around, trying to find Annabeth. She was no where to be found, not even in her cabin. Then, I had a light bulb moment. I sprinted to the large oak tree where Holly had created the hideout. Annabeth had spent lots of time in here lately, typing away at Daedelus's laptop. I pressed my palm to the tree and spoke softly.

"Percy Jackson, Poseidon."

The hole opened, and I stepped in. Annabeth was sitting at her desk, her head in her arms, crying to herself. She heard the entrance close and whirled around, tears flying, anger flaring in her eyes.

"Get. Out. Of. Here. NOW." She warned.

I stepped toward her, speaking in a comforting voice.

"Annabeth, listen, I was only trying to protect-

"OH SURE!" she yelled. "OF COURSE YOU WERE! THAT'S WHY YOU BROUGHT ALONG CLARISSE? AND THE FOUR POWERFUL APOLLO KIDS? YEA, YOU WERE DEFINITELY DOING THAT. I HATE YOU PERCY! You'd think that my boyfriend would take me along on his most dangerous quest, so we could be together, helping throughout all the problems. But OH NO! He has to go be the noble hero! He thinks he's all wise and noble by putting me out of harm's way. Is that it Percy? You thought a girl would be too weak to help you so you didn't want her along? IS THAT WHAT I AM? EXCESS BAGGAGE THAT JUST WEIGHS YOU DOWN!?"

I put my hands up defensively.

"Annabeth, seriously, I didn't want you to get hurt."

She laughed, high-pitched, like some insane woman.

"Oh yea? Ok. Seems like you were pretty quick to announce Chloe and Nikki. Why don't you just go dump me and be with them already?"

She was choking on her insults, tears spilling down her face.

I spoke in the softest and gentlest voice I had ever used.

"Annabeth, I did it because…because I love you."

Her face lit up, and her eyes widened. Tears spilled down her face like a waterfall, and she just sat there, staring at me. I waited a few minutes for a reply, and then said quietly,

"Well, usually a response is expected, but I see that it's not here…"

And with that, I walked out, blinking tears away leaving Annabeth alone, crying.

I got into bed, ignoring Sydney's loud music. Even Sydney had understood why I didn't take her along! As I fell asleep, the only image in my head was Annabeth's angry face, shouting, "_I HATE YOU PERCY!"_

_*******************************************************************_

Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW! The quest begins next chapter, so put me on Author Alert so you know when it is uploaded!


	6. Chapter 5: The Tip of The Iceberg

Chapter 5: The Tip of the Iceberg

I woke up feeling sick, a headache pulsing through my veins, causing my eyes to squint in pain. I sat up, feeling the blood rush through my body, and I remembered last night. I tried to shake it off but I couldn't. I just couldn't.

I walked out into the early morning air, listening to the birds chirping. _How could things go on like this after what happened? The earth should be on fire!_

I sulked over to the pavilion, where Chiron and the other nine were waiting. They all looked at me expectantly, and I coughed, struggling to remember the prophecy's exact words.

"Ok guys…well…I'll tell you the prophecy, but it may be a bit unappealing."

I was almost waiting for one of them to shout, "I don't wanna do this anymore!" just so I could run to the Athena Cabin and apologize, but no one spoke. Chiron nodded at me, and I recited the lines Rachel had spoken.

"_There will be ten that journey to the cold,_

_Just as the tragic plot begins to unfold._

_True hardships and suffering always await,_

_All the while friends become the bait._

_Betrayal and Death linger just around the bend,_

_And for two the magic of life shall end._

_Three orbs of mystery abate the Keep,_

_And all will endure the Revenge of the Deep."_

I finished, and watched as the four Apollo kids glanced quickly at each other, then away, Clarisse shrugged, Nikki narrowed her eyebrows, Chloe sat up a bit straighter, Luke wiped his eyes, and Elise tilted her head. Chiron shifted uncomfortably, as if he knew something I didn't. I glanced around, waiting for someone to say something, until Nikki spoke softly.

"Well, let's go through the prophecy!"

"_There will be ten that journey to the cold," _she repeated. "Obviously that means we are heading north. She looked around for approval and everyone nodded in agreement.

"_Just as the tragic plot begins to unfold." _ "Well," she said. "I think this quest won't be a very happy one."

"_True hardships and suffering always await,_" she recited. "Really not liking the mood of this prophecy…"

Chiron and the rest of us just nodded, not hearing anything important or mysterious enough to discuss.

"_All the while friends become the bait."_ Nikki sighed. "Alright this is downright depressing!"

Chiron interrupted.

"Friends become the bait…the bait? The bait for what?"

Chloe voiced,

"Maybe there is a plot within a plot, like- what if something else is going on that we don't even know about? What if every action we make to stop the Titans is just ensuring our own deaths?"

Reese chuckled sarcastically.

"Are we just gonna be all pessimistic? Like seriously, I'll just go to bed; wake me up when you're done."

He mocked sleeping, and we all laughed, thankful for the comic relief. Nikki continued.

"_Betrayal and Death linger just around the bend,_" she repeated. "So we are going to be betrayed, and lots of people will die."

We all grimaced as she carried on.

"_And for two the magic of life shall end._"

Everyone went silent, looking away. Nikki didn't have to state the obvious- two of us were going to die. _Wonderful, _I thought. Another voice in my head whispered, _Aren't you glad you put Annabeth out of harm's way?_ Then the image of her screaming, "I HATE YOU PERCY!" went through my mind, and I shook my head.

Nikki persisted.

"I know this sucks, but we need to keep going."

"_Three orbs of mystery abate the Keep_".

I frowned.

"What does _abate _mean?"

Chiron shot me an annoyed look.

"It means to weaken, or slowly decline the strength or ability of."

I nodded slowly.

"Oh…So what's a Keep?"

Nikki stood up.

"From what I know, a Keep is a very magically powerful device used to conceal an object from others. It's a sort of…box thing that you put something special inside, and it enhances and protects it. The box opens only to your touch, and if anyone else tries to break in, it will appear to you immediately. Basically, it's the safest way to ensure that no one else will steal something from you."

Austin perked up.

"Could you store, like, anything in there? Even…a body? I'm just wondering, of course…"

He looked away suspiciously, and Nikki gave him a strange look.

"I suppose you could," she replied in an awkward tone, eager to change to subject.

"I think," Nikki began. "That I can get a Keep from my mother…But this prophecy says three orbs will weaken it…is it worth it?"

Chiron spoke up.

"I think it would be wise to get a Keep, Nikki. Maybe it's fate."

I looked around, and noticed Monica and Chelsea share a worried look. I called over,

"What's wrong?"

Monica looked away, and Chelsea looked unhappy.

"I think…we might know what the "three orbs" are."

Everyone looked at them, and Chiron gestured for her to continue.

She started,

"Well, it was in our prophecy. The prophecy about us four, and how we would help to save the world and all that. It said something about the three orbs, but it didn't use that word. It said… three golden spheres."

Elise gasped silently, and everyone stared at her. She began to speak in an excited voice.

"Haven't you ever heard of the myth of Atlanta? Well, I think I know what these orbs are."

She pulled a Greek Mythology book out of her backpack, flipped through it, and read aloud.

"_Atlanta is the daughter of Iasius and Arcadia. Iasius, who had wanted a son, was so upset to have a daughter that he left her on a mountain to die. The god Artemis took pity on the baby and sent a she-bear to nurse her until Atlanta was found by a group of hunters who took her in and raised her. At a young age Atlanta was warned by an oracle against marriage, claiming that she would marry and then be very unhappy. After this prediction Atlanta shunned men and devoted herself to hunting._

Atlanta became an exceptionally skilled hunter and asked to join a group of hunters trying to kill the Caledonia Boar. Although women were usually not allowed on such expeditions, the leader of the group, Meleager, fell in love with her boyish yet feminine looks and invited her to hunt with him. The Boar killed several of the hunters before Atlanta was the first to wound him.

After this great success Atlanta's father welcomed her back to his home with open arms. When her father pleaded with her to marry, Atlanta said that any man who wished to marry her would have to beat her in a race. If he won he would receive her hand in marriage, if he lost Atlanta would kill him. Many suitors raced her unsuccessfully and lost their lives.

Eventually, Hippomenes fell in love with Atlanta and decided he must race her. Atlanta, who became fond of Hippomenes when she first saw him, agreed to the race. Hippomenes prayed to Aphrodite to help him in the race, and she answered by giving him three golden apples. Each time Atlanta ran ahead of Hippomenes he threw one of the apples to distract her, and with this method he was able to beat her.

The couple was then happily married. However, in their excitement and love for each other, the newlyweds forgot to thank Aphrodite for her help. As punishment, Aphrodite made the couple disrespect Cybele with their lovemaking. The angry Cybele transformed them into lions and they spent the rest of their lives yoked to Cybele's carriage."

When she finished and put the book away, we all glanced at Chiron, who had a look of understanding on his face.

"Yes, I know the golden apples. In fact…let me explain. After the war, Zeus wanted to thank me properly for all that I have done with you campers. He asked his children for ideas, and Aphrodite offered him the apples. Zeus took them and went to see three people. Gaia, Mother Nature, Thanatos, god of death, and Eros, the god of love and affection."

Austin piped up,

"Isn't Hades the god of Death? And what does that mean?"

Chiron sighed.

"No, Austin. Hades is the Lord of the Underworld, and Lord of the _Dead._ Thanatos is the minor god of _death._ And what all this means is that I suspect Zeus filled these apples with special abilities. Gaia…Mother Nature…life or rebirth. Yes, I think each apple has a special power. One must have the power to give life or rebirth to something inanimate or dead. A second apple should have the power to cause anything living to die. The third will have the power to cause any two things to fall in love."

Luke shuddered.

"Better stay away from the Death Apple!"

Chiron looked at him, wisdom in his eyes.

"You would be surprised, son of Hephaestus. You might just find that the apple of Love will be the most dangerous of all."

Luke raised his eyebrows skeptically, but did not question Chiron.

Nikki suddenly shouted,

"I got it!"

She waved a shiny, square-shaped object in her hand. It was the Keep. I stared at it, and my eyes began to water. _Weird._

Nikki placed her palm to it, and it glowed, taking in her touch. It opened slowly, and waited for an item to be placed in. We all looked at Chiron, who was galloping back from the Big House. He tossed a large bag to Monica, who caught it, and began to pull out the apples. Chiron tensed.

"Don't touch them! Once they are touched by human flesh, they must be used in the next few moments; otherwise its power will be gone."

Monica moved away, and Nikki waved her hands. Three golden apples rose out of the bag, shimmering in the early morning sunlight. As Nikki lowered the apples into the Keep, I saw one of the apples twinkle, gleaming towards me. The light made me blink, and then they were gone, safely locked away.

Nikki put the Keep away, and then warned us of something.

"Guys, just to let you know, I don't think the Keep will last forever. The prophecy said the apples will weaken the Keep…I guess we have to use them before the quest ends."

Elise glanced over.

"What happens if we don't?"

Nikki's eyes grew dark.

"You don't want to know."

*******************************************************************

We said our goodbyes, and then walked over to the beach, were a large ship was waiting in the distance. I willed us to stay dry, and the currents carried us to the ship in no time. The cruise ship was twice the size of the Princess Andromeda, and looked more fun than anything I had ever done. We climbed aboard, and made ourselves at home. The Apollo kids and Luke went swimming in the 5000' by 5000' pool, swimming as far down as they could go. I don't think anyone but me could've reached the deepest point- 25 feet.

Nikki, Elise, Clarisse, Chloe, and I all made our way to the grand suite, claiming beds, discussing what could be happening up north. I felt distant from them, and I couldn't get Annabeth out of my mind.

I was half asleep when a felt a tug in my gut, and then- WHOOSH! The cruise ship began trembling, shaking back and forth. We all jumped up; ready for monsters to start pouring into the suite, but nothing happened. The wind got louder, and the boat began to shake more violently. We slowly made our way up to the deck, and gaped in horror. The sky was the deepest black I had ever seen, and the ocean was a writhing mess, flinging itself everywhere. Water sprayed across the main deck, and began to soak everyone. Thankfully, we were the only ones on the ship, so no one was screaming. That was, except for us.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Chloe ran for lifejackets, and Nikki summoned a purple raft. I didn't think it was necessary, but that was before I saw it. At first I thought I was dreaming, but the spray of the ocean snapped me into reality. A 500-foot tall rogue wave was speeding towards the cruise ship, ready to crush it into splinters. Elise let out an ear-piercing scream, and I felt my breath go cold.

I prayed to my dad,

"Please, Dad. Please save our ship. Save our ship."

I willed all the water surrounding the boat to move us away, but it was no use. The water seemed completely out of my control. Nikki conjured some rope and we tied ourselves to the deck. Elise desperately tried to will the sun to break through the storm, and Chloe tried to call for Zeus to calm the skies. Nikki flicked her wrist, completely undeterred by the impending danger, and a yellow wall covered the ship. I didn't know what that would do, but there was no time to argue. I felt helpless, and was so shocked that I couldn't even scream when the wave reached us.

The rogue wave slammed into the boat, shattering the yellow shield. Water flowed in, rising above the tallest slide in seconds. We were completely underwater, and the impact had knocked me out for a few moments. Monica, Austin, and Elise were unconscious, and Reese's head had smashed into a wall, splitting in open. We were lucky we weren't dead. Speaking of which, how did the boat not flip and sink and get destroyed?

A voice spoke in my mind.

_"Percy, I saved you once but I can't hold out much longer. Get your friends out of there, NOW!"_

It was my dad, and I thanked him with all my might. I willed the water to untie the ropes and let me breathe, but nothing happened! I was completely powerless. I noticed Chloe struggling to stay conscious, and I noticed black beginning to ebb into my eyesight. I looked around desperately, but Nikki was too weak to use her powers. Then, there was a glint of silver, and the ropes were sliced away. I grabbed Monica and Elise and began kicking upwards. Clarisse grabbed Austin and Reese, and Nikki helped Luke swim up. Chelsea was floating at the surface. _How the-_

My thoughts were interrupted when I broke the surface, gasping for air. Not a moment to soon. The boat slammed into an iceberg, and I couldn't help think of the Titanic as our luxury cruise ship began cracking, sinking into the water. Clarisse pushed everyone over, and we sank into the freezing ocean.

The water swirled around angrily, and I felt scared. My whole life I had felt safest in the water, my one place to escape. Now, it was like I had never even swum before. Nikki used her remaining magic to conjure another purple raft, lift us onto it, and then she collapsed. I felt myself slip away, watching the ship disappear into the ocean. The suction effect that a sinking boat has began, but somehow we managed to survive. _Yea, we half-bloods tend to do that. We're pretty stupid, but we always manage to live to fight another day. _And with that, I was gone.

*******************************************************************

Thanks for reading! Sorry if the beginning of the quest was rushed and relatively boring- I promise the action will pick up. PLEASE REVIEW! Also, add me to Author Alert so you know when the next chapter is uploaded! Thanks!


	7. Chapter 6: The RedEyed Demon Dog

Chapter 6: Laelaps the Red-Eyed Demon Dog

My eyes blinked open, wincing at the pain from the bright light reflecting off of the ice. Ice? I sat up, looking around.

Large glaciers surrounded us, blocking out the distance. The sun was very bright, but it was incredibly cold. I looked around the raft, and saw that everyone was asleep except Nikki. I looked at her, and she pointed. I finally noticed that she had healed everyone, thank the gods. She was cooking food, and she had magically transported our belongings here.

_Where has she been my whole life!? She could've helped so much during the war!_

She smiled, and then I asked,

"Hey Nikki, can you like…make it warmer?"

She glared at me.

"Well, sure! Just as soon as I make sure there is food for everyone, so they don't starve or die from injuries!"

I blushed.

"Sorry…I wasn't trying to be unappreciative…but we don't want us to freeze, do we?"

She rolled her eyes, waved her hands, and the temperature inside and surrounding the large raft became normal. I relaxed, letting my body warm up, and dozed off again.

A few hours later, I woke up, seeing that everyone was awake. In fact, everyone was getting off the raft. I grabbed the last bit of food and followed, wondering where everyone was deciding to go without me.

"Hey guys…uh…what are you doing?"

Everyone turned, looking confused.

"Well," Monica began. "We need to look around for evil people, and Chelsea…"

I looked at Chelsea, who was glaring at Monica, and then she spoke.

"Well, I had a vision. It was us, walking, and in the distance was two pointed glaciers. It was like an ice valley, and in-between was…some evil people."

She broke off; obviously not wanting to talk about the monsters she had seen. I nodded, looking around, then feeling a DUH moment. The two pointed glaciers were only a few hundred yards from us.

Without a word, we all took of sprinting, Austin and Reese in the lead. Elise disappeared into the sunlight, reappearing fifty feet ahead, again and again. Nikki transported herself all the way to the edge of the valley, waiting. Monica and Chelsea were just sprinting, using their father's ability to run faster than any mortal man. Chloe flew through the air, moving incredibly fast, catching up to Nikki in no time.

We must have looked like some cheesy, cartoonish superhero gang. Luke and I ran behind everyone, when I noticed Luke speeding forward on some mechanical scooter. He passed almost everyone in seconds.

_Did he just build that while we were-? Oh whatever._

I wished I could do something special like everyone else, and then I really felt stupid. I was standing on top of millions of gallons of frozen water. _Wow, Percy. Wow._

I willed the ice below me to become water, and then I sunk down, swimming at the speed of a high-powered motor-boat. I reached Nikki, becoming solid again, just as Monica and Chelsea got there. I noticed that everyone, including me, was not tired in the slightest. Yay!

Wait.

"Guys," I said slowly. "Where's Clari-

I was interrupted by a loud BEEP, BEEP! I whirled around, finding myself face to face with a rocket launcher that extended from the end of a tank. _Oh. There she is. Why am I not surprised to find her with a tank?_

Clarisse hopped out, snapping her fingers, causing the tank to turn into her electric spear. She glanced at us, annoyed, and said,

"Well come on, you pack of sloths!"

Everyone followed her as we entered the ice valley. We walked all the way in to the center, but there was nothing there. I turned to Monica, confused, when Chelsea screamed in pain. Everyone stared as she collapsed to the ground, clutching her head.

"NO! LET THEM GO!"

Clarisse stepped forward.

"What the heck? Is she dying or something?"

Austin replied quietly,

"No. She's having a premonition…a bad one."

Clarisse sighed sarcastically.

"Boo hoo for her. Now get up! Gods, she's like a f-

Nikki flicked her wrist, and Clarisse tried to speak, no sound coming from her mouth. Elise cheered, but Clarisse punched her. Ouch.

After Elise got up, insisting she was fine, Chelsea stood up, panting.

"Guys…We need to get out of here…NOW!"

I didn't need a second reminder, so I rushed everyone out. We were a few hundred yards away when a ferocious "ROAR!" came from behind us.

We spun around, and I let out a silent moan.

A large dog (wolfish like), about fifty feet high stood before us. Its claws were three times the size of my body, and its fangs were about five times larger, dripping saliva. The dog's eyes were wide and vivid red, zooming in on our exact position. Its nose twitched, taking in all of out respective scents. Clarisse gulped, and Elise backed up a bit. Chloe stood her ground, trying to find a way out. She reminded me of Annabeth, always thinking, never stopping.

Luke spoke, his voice shaking.

"I k-know w-what that is!"

We glanced at him, waiting for some way to bring it down.

"It's a monster" he said. "Named Laelaps. He is an old creature that can change from a large dog to a large fox at will. The legend says as a dog, he will catch whatever prey he goes after. However, as a fox, he can never be caught. Zeus ended the paradox by turning Laelaps into stone, but as we all know, no enchantment can last forever."

Ironically, we all glanced at Nikki's bag, thinking about the three apples that were safe in the Keep, at the same time destroying its magic.

Austin groaned.

"Aw come on! Don't we already have enough to worry about! We have this Revenge of the Deep, whatever that is, the Oceanus and Tethys problem, the apples in the Keep issue, and now this! What is the point of this stupid quest!?"

Chelsea punched him.

Reese began waving his hands in a circle, creating this circular wave of fire. Austin began to make the same thing, except made out of light. Monica joined her powers with Austin, while Chelsea helped Reese.

I stared at the giant monster before me, thinking oddly of the Christmas song, _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer_, except I changed the title a bit; _Laelaps the Red Eyed Demon Dog. _Subconsciously, I hummed the catchy tune, and noticed Clarisse giving me a furious look, as if to say, _Jackson, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna feed you to the harpies, limb by limb!_

I quickly stopped, just as Laelaps barked loudly, lunging at me. It crossed the frozen tundra between us in seconds. I stood there, frozen in panic, but the four Apollo kids saved me. They released the waves, which combined together, forming a large sphere of golden fire. Laelaps whimpered loudly, turning into a scarlet fox, outrunning the fire until it disintegrated. Laelaps slowly began walking towards us, and then raised his head to the sky, like a wolf.

"AHWHOO!"

I groaned.

"So he's a dog, a fox, and a wolf to call for friends?!"

Clarisse gave him another look.

"No, you idiot. He's not a wolf. Wolves are part of the canine family!"

Nikki interrupted.

"Hey guys. If you're done, maybe we can turn our attention to the more pressing situation at hand."

I turned, smiling in thanks at Nikki. She nodded, and then her eyes grew large. I spun around, watching as four large blasts of light illuminated the glacier. Four large creatures appeared. I looked at each one individually, gasping at the horrific sights.

On the far left was a large creature that I immediately recognized as the Kraken. I somehow managed to recall its description in a Greek Monsters book Chiron had given me.

_The legend may actually have originated from sightings of real giant squid that are variously estimated to grow to 13–15 meters (40–50 feet) in length, including the tentacles. These gargantuan sized creatures normally live at great depths, but have been sighted at the surface and reportedly have attacked ships._

A large pool of water surrounded it, and its tentacles writhed around, trying to find something to latch onto. The Kraken is known for destroying ships, but it has a relatively unknown power. Many people believe it just to be the sway of the sea, but the Kraken can actually control water, almost like I can.

I shuddered, and glanced at the next monster. Several meters in the air was a flying stag, a creature known as Peryton. I couldn't remember much about Peryton, except for its deadly power. Peryton is a creature of the sky, and it controls the skies-through its wings. One flap of those bronze wings and you could be thrown thousands of yards away by an incredibly powerful wind-like Nikki's, except multiplied by 100,000,000.

I glanced around, and saw everyone preparing to fight. I knew we wouldn't stand a chance.

The third monster was easily recognizable- a Phoenix. The magnificent bird was floating about the same height as Peryton, but it was on fire, spraying flames all around. It cried loudly, and my ears pained from the loud screech. I knew the Phoenix could manipulate fire- although I wondered if it would become weaker from the opposite climate. Probably not. Darn.

If it wasn't easy enough to guess, the last monster controlled earth. It was a Golem, a large creature made from stone, one that could hurl huge boulders great distances, crushing anything with perfect aim. Sadly for us, its protective stone plate was magically enhanced to withstand almost anything. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

I called for everyone to get in a formation, knowing we could never escape. I prayed to the gods to help us somehow. Laelaps barked, and the monsters charged.

Austin, Monica, Chelsea, and Reese all jumped into the air, attacking Peryton with arrows, swords, and magic. I figured they would be ok.

Clarisse ran screaming at the Kraken, probably not the smartest idea. It smacked a tentacle at her, but she dived over it, rolled forward, and stabbed it into the tentacle. _Thank the gods I brought her,_ I thought.

Chloe was fighting the Phoenix, dueling from midair. Chloe summoned a bolt of lightning, which narrowly missed the Phoenix, only clipping its wing. The Phoenix barreled downward, but it just soared up again.

_What the Hades?_ I thought. _Ugh. Stupid healing powers._

I watched as Elise and Luke fought the Golem. Elise used her powers to blind the Golem, and then Luke worked on some contraption to break the armor. Elise intensified the heat of the sun, burning holes in the ice below the Golem, while the armor barely even gleamed. They would need to hurry up before the Golem got to them.

I turned to Laelaps, who was fighting Nikki.

Laelaps would run toward her, and Nikki would blast herself upwards, shooting bolts of energy at him, only to watch as Laelaps transformed into a fox, sprinting out of the way. When she landed, he would transform back into a dog, and the game would restart. I didn't know who to help…I rushed forward, and then-

WHAM!

I flew several hundred feet before landing face first in the ice. I used my last bits of energy, and saw Chelsea fall from the air, the other three already beaten. Clarisse was whipped away by a tentacle, unconscious. Elise was punched away by the Golem; her body crumpling. Luke tried to activate the machine in time, but too late. Chloe and Nikki took on all 5 monsters, fighting out the Battle of the Elements. Nikki focused her energy to perform the spell she had prepared for Chaos, but…WHOOSH!

A tornado-sized wind slammed into her, knocking her off the glacier, sending her deep into the Arctic water. Blood streamed down my face as my eyes closed, wishing we could have finished our quest. We had barely even started…My last thought was hoping Annabeth would forgive me…

*******************************************************************

1. Wow. That was shorter than I expected.

2. OMGS. SORRY! That took me FOREVER to upload. Sadly, this stupid thing called school tends to rule my life. Thanks for sticking with me!

3. Thanks for reading! Please review!

4. Going back to what Austin was saying…there are several things going wrong on this quest. I promise, it may seem confusing and too much right now, but they will all connect and make sense in the end.

5. Unfortunately, Chapter 7 will probably not be uploaded (or written) for another week or two. Sorry! My life is very hectic, although I do try to make this story a priority.

6. Please visit my profile, and/or vote on my poll. Also, I have a little quiz/competition. Whoever PM's me with the correct answer first will be able to give me an idea, character, or object to put into my story. Yea, it's not that exciting, but just do it. The question is:

Who is the Greek God of sleep?

P.S. Yes, I know it is Morpheus, but there is another god of sleep. Maybe someone related to him? (HINT)

7. Again, thanks for sticking with me and reading! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! There is a button right below this. Please, just click it and type a teeny little message. You can hate it, love it, come hunt me down because I take too long to upload, whatever. I just want your input! PLEASE!


End file.
